Friction draft-rigging.



G. A. TOWER. FRICTION DRAFT RIGGING. APPLICATION FILED OUT. 8, 1906.

9%,785. v PatentedTf1 ,11ile1,1909.

WITNISSES mveu'ron gisr orator.

OLINTON A. TOWER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIOfASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL MALLEABLE vCASTINGS COMPANY, OFv CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

FRICTION DRAFT-RIGGING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 1, 190a.

Application filed October 8, 1906. Serial No. 337,901.

To all whom tit-may concern:

Be it known that I, CLINTON A. TOWER, of Cleveland, Cuyahoga county, Ohio, have invented a new and useful Friction Draft- Rigging, of which the following is a full,-

clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which" Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional View showing the draft rigging; Fig. 2 is a simi- I pactly'arranged; and the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement and COIIIbIIIELtJOII of parts all substantially as here nafter describe and pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring first to the construction shown in Fig. 1, the numeral 2 designates the draw bar, 3 the usual yoke which extends rear-- wardly from the draw bar and which engages the head4 thereof. 5 and 6 are end followers, the follower 5 being seated against the back end of. the yoke 3, while the follower 6 is seated against the end of the head 4 of the draw, bar. 7 designates a central friction member which in the form. here shown consists of a cylindrical rod whose length is such that it will afford an inter; mediate clearance between its ends and the followers 5 and 6, as shown in the drawings.

"Slidingly seated upon each end portion of this rod are a set of friction or wedge members 8 havin conical surfaces 9 which engage the wal s of corresponding cavities 10 in the respective followers 5 and 6. Each set of the friction or wedge members also has opposite cone faces 11 which form seats for the ends of a spiral spring 12 which is seated around the central member 7. In the form shown each set of wedge orfriction members is formed in three separate pieces, as mo. e clearly shown in Fig. 3-.

The form shown in Fig. 2 is similar to that shown in Fig. 1 with the exception that instead of seating thecnds of the spring 12 directly against the wedge or friction members, two additional followers 13 and 14 are interposed respectively between the ends of the spring and the adjacent set of friction members, these followers having conical cavities 15 thereon which engage the cone faces 11 of the friction'members.

It will be readily seen that under either pulling or butling stress, the spring 12 .willj.

be compressed, thereby forcing the friction members or wedges into contactwlth the followers and 1nto frictlonal engagement with the central rod or member 7, bl'llS fric; tion moi-easing with the increasing stress.-

I)nring pulling, the clearance space at the end of the central friction member permits. longitudinal motion of the parts, for if the parts are in the position. shown in Fig. l, the

follower will engage the end of the central member 7 and will move it lon itudinall 7 h toward the follower 6, and in uniting the clearance space at the end will likewise permit motion of the follower 6, either with or toward the end of thecentral member 7 accordingly as saidmember is then abutting against the follower or not.

The advantages of my invention will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. The arrangement and mannerof action of the friction members is a very positive and effective one, and takes up so little room that it can e readily applied in all cases where draft riggings' of the kind now commonly employed are applicable without change in the arrangement of the draft timbers. r

The invention may be modified in many ways without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as defined in the claims. a

What I claim is: I

1. In a frictional draft-rigging, end followers, a central friction member interposed between the follo vers and having end clearancc, friction mei. bers loosely seated on the,

end portions of the centr'atmeniber and engaging the folldwers, and a spring for forcing. the; members into engagement, said central member being longitudinally movable with the respective followers and adapted when moved to move in the same direction with the moving followers; substantiallv as described.

2. A friction draft-rigging having end followers formed with inclined surfaces,

friction members engaging each of said fo1- and a spring exerting pressure against, the lowers, 21 central frletlon member carrymg fl'l (ft]0l1 members; substantlally as described. 10 the s 1d frlotron member and mterposed In testnnon whereof, I have hereunto set between the followers and having end etearmy hand.

anee, said central member being longitudi- CLINTON A. TOVER. nally movable wlth' the respeetlve followers W ltnessess and adapted when moved to move 1n the HARRY E. ORR,

eeme direction with the moving follower-, HENRY I. POPE. 

